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Illinois driving lesson · Turning, Parking & Special Stops

No-parking zones and other road laws

A 4-minute lesson from the Illinois course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Turning, Parking & Special Stops
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
38, 39, 83

Some places are off-limits for parking statewide, even if no sign says so. Local towns may post more rules on signs. Memorize the distances: they are classic test questions.

Know the rule

Statewide stopping, standing and parking rules apply even where no sign is posted. Local rules may be posted on signs.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Stopping, standing or parking is prohibited:

  • On the roadway side of a parked vehicle (double parking)
  • On a sidewalk, on a crosswalk, or within an intersection
  • Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb
  • In a marked, buffered or barrel-protected bike lane
  • Beside or opposite a street excavation or obstruction if you'd block traffic
  • On a bridge, overpass or railroad track, or in a highway tunnel
  • On any controlled-access roadway
  • Between the roadways of a divided highway, including crossovers
  • Anywhere official signs prohibit it
Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

Outside business and residential districts, don't stop on a paved road when you can practically pull off it. In an emergency you may stop only with a clear view of 200 feet in each direction. Turn on flashers and leave room to pass.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Standing or parking distances (occupied or not)

Standing or parking distances (occupied or not)
PlaceRule
Public or private drivewayNever in front of it
Fire hydrantNot within 15 feet
Fire station drivewayNot within 20 feet
Crosswalk at an intersectionNot within 20 feet
STOP sign, YIELD sign or traffic signalNot within 30 feet
Nearest rail of a railroad crossingNo parking within 50 feet
Handbook p. 39 ↗

Know the rule

Between sunset and sunrise, don't park on a highway unless your front and rear parking lights are on, or you're in an urban district where lights aren't required. Dim the headlights on a parked vehicle.

Handbook p. 39 ↗

Know the rule

Local authorities may designate curb markings, fire lanes and pavement markings as "No Parking" areas.

Handbook p. 83 ↗

Illinois law also says you may not:

  • Cause an object to fall from an overpass toward a moving vehicle intending to strike it
  • Drive on a sidewalk, except where it's part of a driveway
  • Overload a vehicle so the driver's view is blocked (no more riders than seat belts)
  • Ride in a house trailer while it's being moved on a street or highway
  • Play a sound system loud enough to be heard 75 feet or more from your vehicle
Handbook p. 39 ↗
75 feet

A car sound system heard this far away (or farther) while driving on a highway is illegal

Handbook p. 39 ↗

Put it into practice

You find an open curb spot 25 feet from a STOP sign. You can't park there. Parking is prohibited within 30 feet of a STOP sign, YIELD sign or traffic signal.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

How close to a fire hydrant may you legally park?
  1. No closer than 10 feet
  2. No closer than 20 feet
  3. No closer than 15 feet
  4. No closer than 5 feet

Answer: No closer than 15 feet

Illinois bans parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
How close to a STOP sign, YIELD sign, or traffic signal may you legally park?
  1. No closer than 50 feet
  2. No closer than 20 feet
  3. No closer than 15 feet
  4. No closer than 30 feet

Answer: No closer than 30 feet

Illinois bans parking within 30 feet of a STOP/YIELD sign or signal.

Handbook p. 39 ↗
How close to a railroad crossing's nearest rail may you legally park?
  1. No closer than 100 feet
  2. No closer than 30 feet
  3. No closer than 50 feet
  4. No closer than 15 feet

Answer: No closer than 50 feet

Illinois bans parking within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing.

Handbook p. 39 ↗
Where is stopping, standing, or parking always prohibited, even without a posted sign?
  1. In a strip mall parking lot
  2. On a sidewalk, crosswalk, or within an intersection
  3. On a residential side street
  4. On a one-way residential street

Answer: On a sidewalk, crosswalk, or within an intersection

Statewide rules ban stopping on sidewalks, crosswalks, and within intersections.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
In an emergency, a driver stops on a paved roadway outside a business/residential district. What is required?
  1. 200-foot views both ways; flashers on
  2. A clear view of 50 feet each way
  3. A clear view of 100 feet each way
  4. No special precautions are required

Answer: 200-foot views both ways; flashers on

Emergency roadside stops require 200 feet of visibility each way and hazard flashers.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
Which of these is prohibited for stopping/standing/parking, regardless of a posted sign?
  1. On a residential street with driveways nearby
  2. In front of a business with a loading zone sign
  3. Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb
  4. In an unmarked parking lot

Answer: Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb

Parking between a safety zone and the curb is banned statewide, sign or no sign.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
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